Plyometric Jump Training Device

ABSTRACT

A plyometric jump training device used to improve health and human fitness includes an elevated perimeter surrounding a central hollow cavity. This device requires the user to control his/her body trajectory to jump on or over the top surface, then down to land inside a smaller central cavity, forcing the athlete to land in a confined space. The device also incorporates lateral jumping into and out of the central hollow cavity, along with other exercise drills to further enhance the workout.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/910,403 filed on Dec. 1, 2013, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to exercise equipment, and more particularly toplyometric exercise equipment to improve health and human fitness

Many people strive to push their personal limits in the area ofexercise, but want to do so in a safe, simple and effective manner,without harmfully overstressing the human body. Plyometric devices havebeen used in the past to achieve such limits. Plyometrics can best bedescribed as a reflexive form of power training to help improve theresponsiveness of muscles. This type of training involves powerfulmuscular contractions in response to a rapid stretching of the involvedmusculature. These powerful contractions are not a pure muscular event.In fact, they primarily involve and augment the central nervous systemto improve the fast twitch muscle fiber. Plyometrics is a combination ofan involuntary reflex (myotatic “stretch-reflex”), which is thenfollowed by a fast voluntary muscular contraction.

One simple plyometric device used nearly every day are stairs. Stairsvary in height, width, and other factors depending on the local buildingcodes that define such features. Stairs are by design a collection ofindividual steps that allow a person access to a higher level with theeasiest, safest approach. One of the more important attributes of stairsis called the vertical rise height (i.e. a step), which varies,depending on which code you read. For example, OSHA outlines thevertical rise of a residential step between four and eight and onequarter inches, or for an industrial step a maximum of six and one-halfinches at a thirty-five degree stair angle. So it can be observed stairshave consistent, predictable attributes that allow most any age groupsafe access between levels while burning a minimum amount of energy.Further, users notice more energy is required if two stairs are taken ina single pace, instead of one, or if the interval of time between stepsis shortened, and so on.

However, such plyometric devices are not always available in a gym orhome setting. It would therefore be desirous to provide a device to meetthe advanced exercise needs with something easy and fun to use, thatwill physically push a person to a higher workout level, and yet havesome measure of portability so it can be used at the home, gym, or anyenvironment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an exercise apparatusfor conducting plyometric exercises by a user comprises an elevatedperimeter structure having an elevated top surface and a bottom surfaceadapted for placement on a ground surface, with the elevated top surfaceand having a height with an elevated top surface to be no less than nineinches high, the elevated top surface being sufficiently strong tosupport a user when jumping from the ground surface to the elevated topsurface; a central hollow cavity surrounded by the elevated perimeterstructure, the central hollow cavity being of sufficient size to receivethe feet of the user when jumping from either the ground and over theelevated perimeter or from the elevated top surface and into the centralhollow cavity; the top surface of the perimeter structure having atextured surface to prevent slippage of the user; and a bottom surfaceof the perimeter structure having channels for water drainage in theevent the exercise apparatus becomes wet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention will be best understood when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein like designations denote likeelements throughout the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a plyometric exercise device inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top elevation view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3 showing thecentral hollow cavity.

It is noted that the drawings are intended to depict only exemplaryembodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered aslimiting the scope thereof. It is further noted that the drawings arenot necessarily to scale. The invention will now be described in greaterdetail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1-4 in particular, aplyometric exercise device, known hereafter as a “jump box”, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention isillustrated. The jump box 10 includes an elevated perimeter structure(Section A-A) with top surfaces 11, 12, 13 and 14 that surround acentral hollow cavity (FIG. 3). The jump box 10 is shown as fourseparate pieces, joined in the corners with simple fasteners, dovetails,or the like (not shown.) However, the jump box 10 could also beconstructed in a single piece (not shown.) The jump box 10 is also shownas a simple square shape, but other shapes such as a round, rectangle,triangle, circular, hexagonal, and so on, is also within the scope ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there are four key dimensions to the jumpbox 10. The first is the height of the top perimeter surface 16(dimension “A” shown in FIG. 2) the user has to jump up on. Empiricaltesting revealed the values for A to be between nine and one-half andtwenty four inches to provide a solid workout, depending on the age ofthe user. Smaller youths and women liked the shorter heights, whileadult males liked the taller heights. A preferable size for the generaladult population is sixteen inches.

Referring to FIG. 3, the values for B are critical in determining thesize of the central hollow cavity the user jumps within. Empiricaltesting revealed the values for B to be between sixteen and thirty sixinches to provide a solid workout, depending on the age of the user.Smaller youths and women fit inside the smaller hollow cavities better,while adult males fit inside the larger hollow cavities better. Apreferable size for the general adult population is twenty four inchessquare.

Referring to FIG. 3, the values for C and D define the area on the upperelevated surface the user has to land on. Empirical testing revealed thevalues for C to be between six and thirty six inches to provide a solidsafe workout. The youths and women preferred the smaller platforms,while the adult males preferred the larger platforms. A preferable sizefor the adult platform is fifteen inches.

Referring to FIG. 3, the values for C & D define the area on the upperelevated surface the user has to land on. Empirical testing revealed thevalues for D to be no less than fifty inches square to provide a solidsafe workout. The youths and women preferred the smaller platforms,while the adult males preferred the larger platforms. A preferable sizefor the adult platform is fifty four inches.

Referring to FIG. 2, the top perimeter surface 16 ideally has a texturedsurface finish. This texture helps increase the grip with the user'sshoes to prevent slipping and further ensures safety. The texture ispreferably integrated into the Jump Box 10, but could also be attainedfrom a secondary process such as by adding a grip tape, decal, rubberpaint or the like. The edges of the top perimeter surface have smoothedand rounded features 18 to protect the athlete during use. These roundedfeatures 18 appear both on the inside edges of the central hollow cavityand the outside perimeter, and are especially helpful in the event theathlete has a misstep.

Referring to FIG. 4 (SECTION A-A), the jump box 10 needs to withstandheavy forces generated by multiple users. That said, the base 17 couldbe made from a variety of materials such as metal, wood or compositeplastics and could be made from a single piece or multiple piecescombined together, so long as the final structure is capable ofsupporting the maximum forces. The base 17 can be a solid shape (shownin FIG.4) constructed of a structural foam or similar material, or canbe hollowed out in a honeycomb or other material saving arrangements(not shown) and made from a more dense material like plastic.

Referring to FIG. 1, the jump box 10 has a plurality of channels 15located along the bottom edge of the base. These channels 15 connect theinner hollow cavity with the outside perimeter of the jump box 10. Thepurpose of these channels 15 is to allow water to drain from the innerhollow cavity in the event this apparatus is left outside to theelements (rain, lawn sprinklers or the like.) Therefore, there is nostanding water anywhere associated with this apparatus, which is idealwhen trying to reduce problems associated with mosquitoes.

As initially mentioned, the jump box is loosely based on the sameprincipal as stairs: using a person's body weight and change in theirelevation to burn energy. But by sharp contrast, the jump box hasdimensions far taller than ordinary steps that force the user to expellarge amounts of energy in order to reach up (or down) to the nextlevel, as well as being completely portable. The dimensions and layouthave been carefully chosen to require explosive bursts of energy fromthe user, but in a controlled format to improve the user's corestrength, enhance athletic ability and challenge balance. The user'sbody weight under the influence of gravity, along with the will toovercome an obstacle placed in front of the user is the main drivingformula behind the jump box.

The basic design of the jump box includes a tall perimeter structurewhich surrounds a central hollow cavity. The perimeter structure hasmany surfaces located at a high elevation above the ground level (i.e.much higher than steps,) forcing the user to jump up/down, in/out, over,forwards or sideways between the ground level and the upper surfaces ofthe jump box. These surfaces can all be in the same plane (i.e. sameheight) or in different planes (i.e. different heights.) The jump boxrequires the user to control his/her body trajectory to jump up on thetop surface, then jump down to land inside this smaller central cavity,which is an easy task that burns tremendous amounts of energy, andforces careful control by the athlete to land in a confined space. Toomuch or too little energy and the user may hit a wall or miss the topelevated surface. Once down inside the central hollow cavity, the usercan then choose which way to jump out, stimulating mental awarenessduring the work out (i.e. front, back, left or right.) The jump boxforces these explosive movements under short periods of time with littlerest between movements, and inside a confined central hollow cavity, allof which are ideal ingredients for an intense high level core bodyworkout. So it can be shown the jump box empowers the user to improveathletic ability, in a safe, fun, easy to use and unique package.

A more advanced look at this jump box reveals a revolutionary plyometrictraining device. The jump box guides the athlete into a more perfectrunning form by forcing the athlete to lift his or her knees to clearthe elevated top surface(s) of the jump box (dimension “A” in FIG. 2),while reducing time intervals between each stride by keeping the feetmoving during each exercise drill. This basic physiological concepthelps lengthen the athlete's stride, and increases the frequency ofenergy bursts, making this a truly unique and power packed workoutdevice.

The jump box can be used to perform traditional plyometric training byjumping straight up and down, or into lateral/sideways jumping, andimportantly, it forces the athlete to control his or her landing in aconfined space, which brings a new level of processing for the brain,body and central nervous system, especially as the athlete starts tofatigue during these high energy workouts.

The jump box will also increase an athlete's running speed. One way toquickly become a faster runner is by lifting the knees higher. Theability to lift the knees when running is controlled by the hip flexors,a group of muscles that act together to lift the femur. Another way torun faster is through the anatomy of Lift Turnover, or how fast anathlete can get to the next step, a key factor that determines speed insprinting. The ability to flex the hips determines how fast and far thefeet are picked up. The iliacus is a muscle that allows for hip flexionup to a level parallel with the ground. The rectus femoris assists itand also allows hip flexion to 90 degrees. The psoas provides hipflexion above the 90-degree level as seen in sprinting with high kneelift. The psoas, which raises the knees past 90 degrees, can bestrengthened to improve knee lift. Flexibility in the hip flexorsdecreases muscle resistance and allows runners to take advantage of theleg's full range of motion. The jump box in accordance with theinvention has thus been designed to get a 90 degree lift or higher toincrease speed. The jump box does more than enhance the high lift, itfocuses on moving laterally while lifting the knees, working in aconfined space and utilizing a narrow landing, forcing the feet andknees to lift and touch in a rapid sequence. The lifting of the kneeswill increase stride length and the narrow landing forces the athlete tomove his or her feet at a very fast rate. The repetition of lateralagility drills will increase flexibility and the turnover ratio inrelationship with the ground, all of which will improve the athlete'soverall speed.

The jump box will also improve an athlete's agility. In general terms,agility means being able to move the body quickly and easily whilemaintaining body control and balance. In athletic terms, agility is morespecifically defined as the ability of an athlete to quickly stop andstart, and to change directions without losing motor control. Everyexercise drill on the jump box, requires the athlete to perform somepart of the drill in a confined space and incorporates some form oflateral movement. Agility is important in all sports, and jump boxtraining for agility revolves around lateral movement and cone drillsthat are combined together to improve athletic ability. The jump box hassuggested drills set up to improve power and agility on alternatingdays. Each day the athlete performs the drills, speed development isreinforced on both days by simply performing the basic drills.

The jump box will also help prevent injury. Safety is always a concernwith anyone, especially amongst coaches. The jump box helps build up keyattributes in each athlete that will help protect them from injury. Ifthe athlete has a faster twitch reflex, he or she can quickly changedirections to help avoid contact during fast action sports. Since theathlete has quicker feet motion from the benefits of jump box training,he is less likely to have leg injuries due to feet being planted on theground. Jump box training in combination with regular strength trainingand stretching will build up the athlete's internal muscular fiber,further protecting them from injury.

As the user builds strength and gains confidence in his/her abilitieswith the jump box, the workout drills can be increased. For example,instead of first jumping up, and then down into the central hollowcavity, the user can simply jump directly up over the elevated surfaceand down inside the central hollow cavity in one combined event, burningeven more energy.

Yet another feature of the jump box is its capacity to be used withmultiple users. The many sides of the jump box allow multiple people tosimultaneously workout on the same apparatus, which further refines thenature of the workout and provides stimulating synergy within theworkout group. It is well known that exercise partners can help motivateeach other to work harder while promoting the concept of teamwork toreach a common goal. The jump box allows such an interaction to takeplace.

Still another feature of the jump box is the capacity to combinemultiple jump boxes together into a single workout routine. Byincreasing the number of jump boxes, the user will extend his or herphysical work space and duration, and burn even more energy to furtherincrease stamina and endurance.

The jump box can also be combined with other workout gear such asweights, running cones, and stop watches to push athletes to an evenhigher level of training. By changing up workout routines, the athletemaintains sharp focus and won't become bored with a regular workoutroutine.

In a forward looking attempt to avoid health issues related tomosquitoes, the jump box is designed to prevent the accumulation ofwater anywhere on the apparatus. There are special channelsstrategically placed around the base perimeter, as previously described,which extend from the central hollow cavity through to the outsideperimeter on all sides. So in the event the jump box is left outside andexposed to the elements, accumulation of water within the jump box issubstantially reduced or eliminated.

It will be understood that the term “preferably” as used throughout thespecification refers to one or more exemplary embodiments of theinvention and therefore is not to be interpreted in any limiting sense.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but itis intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise apparatus for conducting plyometricexercises by a user comprising: an elevated perimeter structure havingan elevated top surface and a bottom surface adapted for placement on aground surface; the elevated top surface and having a height with anelevated top surface to be no less than nine inches high, the elevatedtop surface being sufficiently strong to support a user when jumpingfrom the ground surface to the elevated top surface; a central hollowcavity surrounded by the elevated perimeter structure, the centralhollow cavity being of sufficient size to receive the feet of the userwhen jumping from either the ground and over the elevated perimeter orfrom the elevated top surface and into the central hollow cavity; thetop surface of the perimeter structure having a textured surface toprevent slippage of the user; and the top edges of the perimeterstructure having smoothed and rounded features to protect the athleteduring use; and a bottom surface of the perimeter structure havingchannels for water drainage in the event the exercise apparatus becomeswet.
 2. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theperimeter structure comprises several pieces which are joined togetherto surround the central hollow cavity.
 3. The exercise apparatusaccording to claim 2, where the collection of perimeter structures hastwo or more different elevation levels for the top surfaces that allsurround the central hollow cavity.
 4. The exercise apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the perimeter structure takes the shape of square.5. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the perimeterstructure takes the shape of a circle.
 6. The exercise apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the perimeter structure takes the shape ofa triangle.
 7. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theperimeter structure takes the shape of a rectangle.
 8. The exerciseapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter structure takesthe shape of a parallelogram.
 9. The exercise apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the perimeter structure takes the shape of a hexagon.10. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the perimeterstructure takes the shape of an octagon.
 11. The exercise apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the perimeter structure takes the shape ofa polygon.